Friday December 14, Saturday December 15, Sunday December 16

This weekend’s weather will be mostly rainy. Rain today, mainly after 1pm. A high near 43 anda low around 38. Saturday will be periods of rain. High near 46 and low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Sunday, rain likely, mainly before 10am then cloudy, with a high near 40. East wind around 6 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible and a low around 31. Rain and snow showers possible into Monday morning.

Interesting facts: Wisp Resort began snowmaking on Wednesday, November 21 and as of 6:00 am Thursday, December 13, a total of 56 million gallons of water had been pumped equating to approximately 367 acre feet of snow while running the system for 319 total hours.

As of Thursday evening (when I write these Notes), Maryland and Pennsylvania police are still searching for a suspect believed to have been involved in two armed bank robberies in Garrett County. The robber allegedly “hit” the First United Bank in Friendsville and then the M&T Bank in Grantsville. Area schools were locked-down and police rallied to the scenes. Interestingly, M&T Bank’s Oakland branch went ahead and hosted the Chamber’s Business After Hours last evening, which was well attended and well done.

Congratulations are in order for Alice Blayne Allard, whom Sarah and I first had the pleasure of working with through the Power of Possibilities entrepreneurship program and business plan competition (which Alice won in 2016). Alice just purchased a site to construct her new building in the McHenry Business Park to build her cooperage business. She will be making barrels there for the local and not so local distilled spirits industry. We are very proud of her.

Even though it’s winter, there are still fish looking to be caught in the lake. According to the latest edition (and last of the season) of the Maryland Fishing Report, fishing for yellow perch and walleye along the steeper shorelines has been good with minnows under a slip bobber or fishing close to the bottom with a lip hooked minnow on a jig head. The report also comments on fishing action for other lake fish. I always thought the fish went down to Florida for the winter! Who knew?